Team
Atiyyah Ferouz, PMP, CPGP
Founder, CEO
Atiyyah is a plant scientist with an extensive background in regulated industries. After completing her Master of Science in genetic engineering and plant biotechnology at Western University, she began working at the Research and Development Centre of one of the largest Canadian food companies. During her role, she gained experience in quality assurance, regulatory affairs, and product development in GMP and HACCP-certified facilities.
Atiyyah transitioned into the cannabis industry in 2018. As a Tissue Culture Lab Manager, she helped develop cannabis tissue culture protocols and successfully introduced tissue culture clones into the production environment. She became the Director of Business Development and Operations Specialist at a 1.3 million sq ft commercial cannabis greenhouse in Ontario, Canada, further honing her cultivation and post-harvest processing skillsets.
Atiyyah is passionate about cannabis quality assurance and the establishment of a global cannabis supply chain. She is a Certified Pharmaceutical GMP Professional (CPGP), a trained GMP pharmaceutical quality management system auditor, and is the Executive Director of the International Cannabis Quality Standards Association (ICQSA).
In her spare time, Atiyyah enjoys sharing her insights with the cannabis community and she is a frequent speaker at cannabis conferences. Atiyyah is also an instructor and course content developer for the cannabis management program at the Academy of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences in Toronto, Canada.
Atiyyah operates out of Australia and Thailand.
Experience Highlights
Developed and implemented quality assurance programs and procedures at multiple cannabis facilities
Managed operations at a 30-acre cannabis greenhouse
Co-designed cannabis drying racks and custom post-harvest automation
Designed multiple cannabis tissue culture laboratories
Ricki Rathwell
Consultant
Ricki is a plant scientist who specializes in plant tissue culture and genetics preservation. At the University of Guelph, Ricki completed her Masters of Science in Plant Agriculture working with endangered species and medicinal plants. Her educational background provided the expertise needed to enter into the cannabis industry in 2018, prior to federal legalization. As a Tissue Culture Scientist, Ricki developed tissue culture and synthetic seed protocols for a multitude of cannabis cultivars to maintain genetics and produce healthy mother plants for commercial production.
Ricki has worked at a variety of cannabis start-ups in the Canadian cannabis industry, assisting in the design and development of multiple successful cannabis cultivation sites. She has gained experience and knowledge in quality assurance, regulatory affairs, and cultivation. Currently Ricki works for a craft licensed producer where she is the laboratory manager, quality assurance specialist, and Head of Security.
Ricki operates out of Canada.
Experience Highlights
Designed and developed tissue culture laboratories and tissue culture protocols
Developed and implemented quality assurance programs at various cannabis facilities
Led creation and implementation of cultivation programs including growth of production plants, mother plant maintenance, and pest prevention management
Established workflows in cultivation and quality assurance departments to improve efficiencies, while maintaining regulatory compliance
John McCluskey
Consultant
John is a quality assurance and validation professional with over 27 years of experience in regulated industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and cannabis. He has a Bachelor of Science from Laurentian University and a post-secondary diploma in Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance from the Toronto Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology.
John has been in the cannabis industry since 2013 when Canada made the shift from personal to commercial cultivation. He has held the Chief Compliance Officer role at several cannabis start-ups, navigating transitions between cannabis regulations. His previous consulting experience includes working for several full-service consulting firms assisting pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, both domestically and internationally. Through these consulting roles, he has gained hands-on experience with European, Australian, and Canadian GMP requirements.
John operates out of Canada.
Experience Highlights
Led international GMP initiatives to export dried bulk cannabis as an intermediate into the European Union
Led preparatory audits of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, providing recommendations to decrease potential non-conformances according to risk classifications, prior to Health Canada and FDA inspections
Developed and optimized quality management systems in both pharmaceutical and cannabis industries
Assisted a multitude of Canadian cannabis producers in the obtainment of their operating licenses
Savi Bhalkaran, CQIA
Consultant
Savi is a Certified Quality Improvement Associate (ASQ CQIA) with extensive experience in the cannabis industry and holds a Master of Science in Chemistry from the University of Saskatchewan.
Throughout her career, Savi has held a range of quality assurance and compliance roles across the cannabis sector, building deep expertise in oils, vapes, gummies, dried flower, and pre-roll manufacturing. She is highly skilled in QMS software implementation (TrackWise and Isolocity), batch management systems, and regulatory compliance processes.
Savi has also contributed to new product development, led quality inspections, and ensured products met GMP, GPP, HACCP, and other industry standards.
Savi operates out of Canada.
Experience Highlights
Managed comprehensive quality assurance programs for multiple cannabis product lines, including oils, vapes, gummies, and dried flower
Led product development trials for edibles (gummies and chocolates) and managed formulation adjustments
Implemented and maintained QMS systems, using TrackWise and Isolocity, for batch release and quality control
Trained and certified in GMP/GPP, HACCP, Internal Auditing, Food Plant Sanitation, and Root Cause Analysis methodologies
Rebecca Theodoridis
Consultant
Rebecca is a quality assurance and compliance professional, specializing in GACP, GMP, quality systems, and operational compliance.
A graduate of the Biotechnology Advanced program at Durham College, she has worked in the cannabis industry since 2018 across a range of technical and quality-focused roles, including laboratory operations, SME and training positions, and quality assurance within cultivation and production environments.
Rebecca has extensive experience developing and maintaining quality documentation, supporting audits and investigations, running employee training programs, and improving processes to meet regulatory requirements. She holds an active Health Canada Security Clearance and has completed HACCP and SQF certification training, further strengthening her expertise in quality systems, food safety principles, and compliant operations.
Rebecca operates out of Canada.
Experience Highlights
Over 7 years of experience in the cannabis industry, including hands-on work in laboratory operations, quality investigations, and cross-functional compliance initiatives
Developed Quality Management System documentation at several cannabis start-up companies
Led internal audits, supplier qualification activities, CAPA management, and deviation investigations
Acted as a Subject Matter Expert and led cannabis training programs